Archive of Weekly emails sent from the Eagle heights Community Garden registrar.

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

From
the Gardens Registrar: PICK YOUR PRODUCE!; Harvesting Winter Squash; Winter
Squash Recipes; Plants in Paths; What If You Can’t Do a Workday?; Workday
Sunday Afternoon at Eagle Heights

Hello
Gardeners,

PICK
YOUR PRODUCE! –
The gardens are currently full of ripe, over-ripe, and just plain rotten
tomatoes, plus the same for raspberries. (It’s really a crime to not pick your
sweet, succulent raspberries – how many months will it be before you’ll be able
to eat fresh raspberries again?) Don’t let your produce rot – it invites
diseases and pests, such as voles, into your plot and into your neighbors’
plots. Remember – if you have too much, you can leave the excess on the share
shelves, or take it to a food pantry, if it’s still in good shape. Please don’t
waste food.

HARVESTING
WINTER SQUASH –
Gardeners are starting to harvest their winter squash now. It’s still early –
you don’t really have to pick it until frost threatens. And it won’t keep as
long if it’s picked too early. But if the squash has turned a darker color than
it was earlier, it sounds hollow when you shake it, and the stem has died off
and turned hard, then it is ready to pick. Another consideration with squash,
unfortunately, is that we have a fair amount of theft – some people will
harvest their winter squash early to make sure someone else doesn’t walk off
with them. Here’s a website with very detailed instructions on harvesting,
curing, and storing: https://www.growveg.com/guides/curing-pumpkins-and-winter-squash/

PLANTS
IN PATHS – The
intense rain and flooding have delayed mowing operations at both gardens, but
path mowing will resume as the ground dries out. There are a lot of plants
growing out into the garden paths – please understand that anything growing in
the paths is likely to be mowed. I know that winter squash spreads faster and
farther than anybody can control, but still, please try to pull anything
growing into the path back into your plot. And if you don’t or can’t, don’t
complain when your plants get mangled. And, while we’re on the subject,
anything left in paths, such as hoses, bricks, sticks, tools, etc., delays
mowing and is also in danger of being damaged.

WHAT
IF YOU CAN’T DO A WORKDAY?
We will continue to have workdays well into November, so you will have plenty more
chances to sign up before the season ends. But what if you are too busy, or
simply don’t want to do one? You can meet your obligation by paying the $32 “no
workday” fee. This isn’t due until December 15, but in case you want to just
get it over with, the check should be made payable to Division of UW Housing,
and mailed to Eagle Heights Community Gardens, c/o Community Center, 611 Eagle
Heights, Madison, WI, 53705. Or you may drop the check off at the Community
Center; put it in a green garden envelope, so it doesn’t go to pay your rent.
I’d also appreciate a note telling me what the check is for.

WORKDAY
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
- And, speaking of workdays, we will have a workday at Eagle Heights, Sunday
afternoon, September 16, from 2pm – 5pm. The task will be clearing weedy areas
around the garden shed and blueberry beds. Gloves, a hat, and a water bottle
would be advisable. Also, long pants and long sleeves would help with the
mosquitoes. Here’s the link to sign up: https://doodle.com/poll/vv937st9ykuun2qr